Golden State Valkyries Celebrate South Asian Heritage At Chase Center

India-West News Desk

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Golden State Valkyries celebrated South Asian Heritage Night on August 4 at the Chase Center here, highlighting South Asian music, dance and cuisine as the team hosted the Toronto Tempo in a WNBA matchup.

The evening featured a series of cultural performances before and during the game, bringing South Asian traditions to basketball fans in San Francisco.

Ahead of tipoff, Bay Raagis, a San Francisco Bay Area-based music collective, performed three live sets in Thrive City. Founded in 2024, the group is known for blending Indian classical music with genres including jazz, folk, semi-classical, Indian pop and Western pop, with a rotating lineup of vocalists and instrumentalists.

The pregame ceremony included violin performances of the U.S. and Canadian national anthems by Ishmeet Singh and Sukhamrit Singh. The duo performed an instrumental rendition of “O Canada” in recognition of the visiting Toronto Tempo, alongside the U.S. national anthem.

Fans were also treated to performances by Bollywood Dance Central, which presented a high-energy routine during the game, including a primetime in-game performance and the halftime show.

As part of the celebration, designated South Asian Heritage Night ticket package holders were offered halal food in the West Conference Room through Halalfest. The pre-order menu featured offerings from Chai Ho Jai Cart, including halal chicken tikka paratha rolls, paneer tikka rolls, aloo samosas, mango lassi and desi cold coffee, along with Indian cuisine from Charminar Restaurant.

The event showcased South Asian culture through music, dance and food, reflecting the Valkyries’ effort to engage diverse communities while introducing new audiences to South Asian artistic traditions during the franchise’s first South Asian Heritage Night.